Together with Deputy Police Chief Katrin Thaler of the West Hesse Police Headquarters, Hinninger discussed possible measures to support the LGBT*IQ community. 

For the first time, members of sexual and gender minorities in Wiesbaden were surveyed about their living conditions. Over 200 people provided information about their experiences with discrimination and violence, as well as feelings of insecurity in public spaces. The survey was specifically distributed within the LGBT*IQ community and helps shed light on underreported crimes, supplementing police crime statistics. 

The results show that the majority of respondents feel safe in public spaces during the day, but a sense of insecurity grows in the evening hours. Areas of the city center, the Westend, and the station plaza, as well as bus stops, are particularly frequently perceived as unsafe. Additionally, respondents report actual incidents of attacks, such as insults or threats. Physical violence and sexual harassment are also real experiences for a portion of the LGBT*IQ community. 

It is also striking that such incidents are reported to the police only to a limited extent. Reasons cited for this include uncertainty about how to handle the reporting process and about what happens next. This underscores the importance of low-threshold access, trust-building measures, and continued close cooperation between the city, the police, and the community.

Hinninger interprets the findings: “Our study shows that we still have a lot of work to do in the coming years. It is unacceptable that many gay, bisexual, and trans* people feel unsafe, especially in public spaces, or are even subjected to attacks. We take the results very seriously and are working specifically on measures, such as improving the visibility and coordination of support services for those affected. Cooperation with the police also remains important. Anyone who becomes a victim of a crime should be confident that the police will help.”

Deputy Police Chief Katrin Thaler emphasizes: “Crimes based on sexual or gender identity have no place in our society—the West Hesse Police Headquarters is taking consistent action against them.” At the same time, it is important to encourage those affected to contact the police: “Our goal is clear: We want to bring more anti-LGBTQ+ crimes to light by being approachable and building trust. Our liaison officers are a vital link to the community—they build trust and support those affected as equals.”

Measures implemented by the city to date have been rated overwhelmingly positively by those surveyed in the study, particularly the flying of the rainbow flag at City Hall on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17 and on Christopher Street Day on May 30, the funding of Christopher Street Day, and the establishment of the Queer Center. The state capital intends to build on this. 

“The state capital of Wiesbaden stands with the LGBT*IQ community. We will continue to clearly communicate this stance to the outside world and underpin it with concrete measures,” Hinninger concludes.

The complete city analysis “Queer Life in Wiesbaden” is available at www.wiesbaden.de/leben-in-wiesbaden/stadtportraet/daten-fakten/publikationen (opens in a new tab).